The present invention is directed to the field of combustion engines. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a power plant which reduces the amount of diesel needed to operate the engine, which has the added benefits of reducing cost of operation and atmospheric emissions.
With the fluctuation of the prices of petroleum-based fuels such as diesel, and the constantly reduced availability of such resources effectively guaranteeing upward pressure on the costs for such fuels, there is significant interest in finding alternative fuel for vehicles including locomotives and over-the-road vehicles such as semis and buses. Further, the power plant described here can offer advantages for use in fresh water/ocean-going vessels and off-shore platforms, and for standalone diesel-burning generator for providing emergency electricity, as well. The standalone generation capability is useful for emergency power at airports and the like for both in terminal requirements and for energizing ground support vehicles. Additional applications include power requirements of farmland irrigation equipment. In addition, there is significant difficulty in maintaining a “clean-running” diesel engine so there is often a significant pollutant cloud trailing a bus, semi or train. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that government has mandated reduced emissions by recent Federal legislation, particularly relating to the rail industry.
The power plant of the present invention utilizes an electrolyzer to separate brackish water into its component elements: hydrogen, oxygen, and salt, with the hydrogen and oxygen being utilized as combustible products and the salt recycled to the storage tank for the brackish water to inhibit freezing during the winter months. Safety is provided for onboard storage of the separated hydrogen and oxygen by nesting a hydrogen-oxygen storage tank within the walls of the diesel fuel tank. The oxygen is particularly useful when, for example, the second, third and fourth engines in a multiple engine locomotive become oxygen “starved” by the lead engine in a tunnel, for example. The power plant of the present invention has been named Ocean Application of Salt Water as a Implementation System (OASWIS) for Rails and OASWIS for Over the Highway Vehicles.
Various other features, advantages, and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent after a reading of the following detailed description.